Locomotive smoke-box arrangement



Oct. 1, 1929. N. T. M KEE LOCOMOTIVE SMOKE BOX ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

BY 0km A TTORNEY.

Oct. 1, 1929. N. T. M KEE 1,729,838

LOCOMOTIVE SMOKE BOX ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 14, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I NEAL T M 415 INVENTOR.

l BY P 6% m A TTORNE Y.

Patented Get. 1, 1929 UNIT STTES rem? orricE LOCOMOTIVE SMOKE-BOX ARRANGEMENT Application flies Gcteber 14,1926. Serial No. 141,621.

In modern locomotives a large number of elements of an auxiliary nature are located in the smoke-box including usually a superheater, which for purposes of maintenance and repair must be made as accessible as possible. Accessibility of the rear of the smokebox is also desirable in order that the forward flue sheet of the boiler may receive proper attention, and heretofore this desired accessibility has not been obtained because of the projection of the lower portion of the locomotive stack through the central portion of the smoke-box, the presence of the screens forming the usual spark arrester, the damper generally used in connection with the superheater installation, and the steam pipes passing through the smoke-box from the superheater header to the engine steam chest.

lVith the smoke-box arrangement as heretofore constructed, many of these elements must be partially or wholly removed before access can be had to the flue sheet'of the boiler and the superheater units, and it is the principal object of my invention to provide a smoke-box arrangement whereby the forward flue sheet is made readily accessible. More specifically, my invention contemplates the construction of the locomotive stack and the screens forming the spark arrester as a unit removable from the smoke-box through the upper wall thereof. Other and more detailed objects of the invention will appear as the following detailed description of the embodiments of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings proceeds.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a central vertical section taken through a smoke-box constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a. composite view of the structure shown in Fig. 1, the right-hand portion be ing shown in top 'plan view and the left-hand portion being shown in horizontal section. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken through the smokebox, with a portion of the stack cut away. Fig. 4c is an enlarged detail of construction. Fig. 5 is a view simi lar to Fig 1 of a second form and Fig. 6 is a composite sectional view, the rightdiand portion oi which taken along tlrre line (ri 5 and the left-hand portion of which is taken along the line 6"6 Referring now to Fig. 1, the main boiler shell 10 is extended forward of the flue sheet 11 and has attached thereto a sheet 12 forming the smoke-box 13 which is closed at its forward end by the usual form of front end door (not shown).

The usual form of fire tube superheater is shown, having heating units 14. extending into boiler flues 15 and receiving saturated steam from the dry pipe-16, which after being distributed through the saturatedsteam header 17, is discharged from the superheated steam header 18 to the engine steam pipes 19. The engine exhaust pipe 20 is lo cated in the usual position at the bottom of the smoke-box and terminates perferably though not necessarily in a separate nozzle or tip 21.

The upper portion of the smoke-box sheet 12 is cut away to form a comparatively large opening 22 and the smokebox is built up by means of suitable side members 23 so that a plane opening or port is formed in the top of the smoke-box directly above the exhaust pipe 20. A cover plate 24 is secured to the flanged portions of the members 23 around the opening 22 in a manner to provide a gastight joint, and is provided with a central opening for the reception of the locomotive stack. The stack 25 may be of the usual form, supported by a flange 26 and having the usual depending skirt portion 27 extending into the smoke-box. Instead of being secured to the sheet forming the smoke-box wall, the supporting flange 26 of the stack is, in the form I have shown, permanently secured to the cover plate 24. The use of the separate cover plate 24 is obviously not essential, as the flange 26 may be cast to flt the perimeter of the opening 22, but the form shown is preferable because of its lighter weight.

A number of webs 28 are provided which extend downwardly from the lower end of the skirt 27 to terminate in a ring 28 which fits over the tapered nozzle 21 to su port ii: also to prevent lateral dis- 'llhe screen 29 .1113 spa-r111 arrester surrounds the stack and is made approximately cylindrical in form, with the diameter of the screen small enough to enable it to pass through the opening 22 in the top of the smoke-box, the bottom of the screen being attached to the ring 28 surrounding the nozzle 21.

I11 order to provide the proper battling within the smokebox a pair of vertical baflle plates 30 (see Fig. 2) are permanently mount ed in the smoke-box ahead of the superheater headers and through these baflle plates the steam connections leading to the engine pass. As will be seen from Fig. 2, the bafile plates 30 extend inwardly from the sides of the smoke-box approximately half way to the center line of the smoke-box and the intervening space between the inner edges of these bafiles is closed by a removable baffle plate 31 attached to the cover plate 34 and the screen 29.

As illustrated in Fig. 4, the baflles 30 have attached to them, preferably by Welding, the guide strips 32 between which the edges of the baflle plate31 are received, this construction forming a substantially gas-tight sliding joint.

At their lower ends, the baflle plates 30 are attached to a horizontal baffle 33 which extends entirelyacross the lower portion of the smoke-box to a point forward of the exhaust pipe, between which and the bafile a gas tight joint is provided.

' From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the smoke-box may be cleared of the obstruction formed by the stack and spark arrester by merely unbolting the cover plate 24; from the smoke-box and lifting both stack and screen as a unit through the opening in the top of the SIIlOkG-lOOX. With these elements removed it will further be apparent that anopening of sufficient size is provided between the baffles 30 and above the, baffle 33 to afford easy access to the super-heater elements and to the fluesheet of the boiler.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a different form of construction in which my invention is em ployed in a smoke-box arrangement using a superheater damper and which is designed to accommodate a feed water heater mounted above the smoke-box. In this form the arrange-ment of boiler shell flue sheet 11, smoke-box sheet 12 and the several elements forming the superheater are essentially the same as described in connection with Fig. 1, except that in this form the superheated steam header 18 is provided with steam outlets at the ends thereoffrom which the engine steam pipes 19 lead through suitable openings in the sheet 12 to the outside of the smoke-box.

The smoke-box sheet '12 is flattened at the top to reduce the height of the smoke-box for the accommodation of the feed water heater, indicated at 34, and is provided with an opening 22 in this flattened portion over the engine exhaust pipe 20. As in the form previously described, the opening 22 is closed by a bolted cover plate 24 through which the stack 25 passes, the latter being suitably secured to the plate 24 by the flange 26. The stack skirt 27 has attached thereto a plurality of webs 28 which terminate in a nozzletip 21 adapted to seat in the opening of the exhaust pipe 20.

The spark arrester is formed by a rectangular screen attached to the cover plate 24: and having its rear wall formed by a baffle plate 31 removably secured between the bafiie plates in the same manner as in the form shown in Fig. 1. Horizontal baflles 33 and 33 are provided which extend inwardly from the sides of the smoke-box and are joined by the bottom section 33 of the spark arrester behind which a damper 35 is mounted. The

front of the spark arrester is formed by a member 36 hinged at 37 and composed of a front screen and V-shaped side screens, the latter being supported by inverted L-shaped members 3 7. The upper forward end of member 36, when in the position shown in Fig. 5, rests against a baffle plate 38 mounted in the upper forward portion of the smokebox and, as will be readily apparent, the front screen member 36 may be swung about the hinge 37 so that in its retracted position the entire screen may be removed through the opening 22.

In the form just described, it will be'apparent that the same advantages are secured as in the form previously described and in addition a larger area of screen surface may be secured. g

The foregoing embodiments of my invention are to be taken as illustrative only, as it is obvious that many changes in the details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a locomotive smoke-box shell having an opening in the top thereof, of a cover plate removably secured to said shell around said opening, a, stack secured to said cover plate and passingtherethrough, and a spark arresting screen attached to said cover plate and surrounding the portion of the stack within the smoke-box, said stack and screen being removable through said opening.

2. In apparatusof the class described, the

having an opening in the top thereof and a rear wall formed by the boiler flue sheet, of a stack removably mounted insaid smoke-box and passing through said opening, a spark arresting screenlocated in said smoke-box around said stack, and a sectional bafile located transversely of said smoke-box between Isaid stack and said flue sheet, said bafi'le comprising end sections secured to the combination with a locomotive smoke-box Wall of said smoke-box and a center section slidably mounted between said end sections, said stack, screen and center bafile section comprising a unit removable from said smoke-box through said opening.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination With a locomotive smoke-box having an opening in the top thereof, of a stack removably mounted in said smokeboX and a spark arresting screen around said stack, said screen When in normal position occupying a space greater in section than the area of said opening and comprising a retractable portion whereby the sectional dimensions of said screen may be made smaller than the dimensions of said opening for purposes of removal therethrough.

NEAL T. MoKEE. 

